STUDY TERMS
At LASC, we are committed to academic depth and in-person community. In a world full of shallowness and loneliness, we’re excited about coming together to pore over books, wrestle with big ideas, and connect with fellow lovers of learning.
This summer, we’ll be offering our first two-week term of college-level study, which we’re calling Study House. Students will take two deep-dive courses: one in biblical studies and one in literature, both taught by academically qualified professors. But we won’t just study together. Students and faculty will also share meals and discussions, liturgies, and even some chores.
The study term will be held in a home in downtown Lancaster, where students can benefit from academic libraries and enjoy Lancaster’s culinary riches and coffee shops.
Just leave your phones home. We’ll be connecting with books, each other, and God, and disconnecting from our screens.
Study House 2026
June 1–12 | Lancaster City, PA
Daily Activities
Morning and evening communal prayer and song to orient the day
Study time spent in proximity to academic libraries, cafes, and parks in Lancaster City
Low-tech study environment fostering meaningful community
Shared breakfast and suppers with discussion times
Two academically rigorous college-level courses:
"The Book of Revelation" by Dr. Paul Lamicela
"Art & Suffering" by Dr. Darren Penn
The Book of Revelation - Dr. Paul Lamicela
The book of Revelation stands as the capstone of the biblical canon, a literary masterpiece, the tying together of all the threads of redemptive history, a lens through which to view the world, a vision of God, and profound warnings and hope for the future. In this course, students will learn to read ancient apocalyptic literature, intensely study allusions to the Old Testament, and wrestle with how Revelation calls disciples of Jesus today to live in light of the book’s powerful visions.
Art & Suffering - Dr. Darren Penn
Human beings have long turned to art and literature to make sense of human experience. However, the intersection of creative expression with pain and trauma has a complicated history, from the ancient Greeks to the Romantics to the Modernists. This seminar will explore this rich tradition and investigate the relationship between art and suffering. We will inquire: How might art help people process suffering? How does our admiration of art that engages suffering complicate our understanding of such suffering? What is the nature of beauty in such art? How do artists and those who consume art make meaning through such depictions? Along the way, we will draw upon the assistance of philosophers, poets, and fiction writers to answer these questions.
Early Registration $600
Regular Registration $650
Registration includes both courses + breakfast and supper each class day
If you need lodging, contact us at info@lancstudycenter.org.
Instructor Bios
Dr. Darren Penn
Dr. Darren Penn is an independent scholar who specializes in poetry and poetics, modernist literature, and the intersection of philosophy and poetry. He has taught courses in History, Literature, and Philosophy from Antiquity through Modernity; Latino Literature; Poetry & Poetics; Research, Writing, and Academic Discourse; and is a former Writing Center Director. Before transitioning out of academia, he held a lectureship at Boston University. Dr. Penn is currently at work on a monograph of the 20th century American poet Wallace Stevens.
Dr. Paul Lamicela
Dr. Paul Lamicela has a passion for showing students how all Scripture is connected as one grand story. He holds a PhD in biblical theology from Southern Seminary; his dissertation studied the use of the OT in 2 Peter. Dr. Lamicela's academic emphases are in NT use of the OT, Pauline theology, approaches to biblical hermeneutics, and the relationship between OT and NT more broadly. He is also interested in literary approaches to the Bible, and in the study of Second Temple Judaism. Dr. Lamicela has taught classes of his own as well as in college, Bible institute, and other venues for the past ten years.
Preview our Study Terms at a Supper & Study evening